Push

The first words that came to mind when I finished reading this was..wow.. I need some time to digest the whole story. And no, in keeping with my stubborn “don't see the movie till you read the book them”, I have yet to see the movie.

This heartbreaking tale, which is based on a true story, begins when Precious is 12 and has had a baby by her father. This alone is horrific but the abuse she suffered by her mother only adds to the horror. She is 16 and cant read or write and finally after being suspended from school because of her second pregnancy(also by her father) She finally finds a compassionate soul. Her teacher that teaches her to read and write encourages her to write her life story. And that is the premise for this book.

One of the interesting things we see in this book is it is written from Precious viewpoint, including her own words. We can see the progress that she makes with her writing. Although it is difficult at times to understand what she is trying to write it is a brilliant way to show her progress. She writes with a depth and a certain sort of poetry that makes the reader want to cheer her on.

This is at its heart a beautiful story of salvation. Salvation from the horrors of her old life to the promise of a new life. Readers can take away from this book that no matter how bad your life is at the moment, things can and will improve. That in itself is a valuable lesson.

Booking Through Thursday

 

Even though it’s usually a mistake (grin) … do movies made out of books make you want to read the original?

Usually I try and read the book first. Sometimes a movie comes out and I had no idea there was a book. Precious was one such example. I saw the movie then I head it was based on a book. “Push”. I went and checks it out at the library and as a book lover first and foremost i wish i read the book first. on the other hand if the movie had never come out I probably would have never heard of the book.

On the other hand I know there is a movie based on Eat, Pray, Love. I am hesitant to see the movie because I am biased against Julia Roberts. I have hated most of the movies she has been in. I feel she lacks depth to her acting. I want to retain good feelings about the book, so I am undecided.

Pain Killers

Let me begin by saying this is a weird book. I generally enjoy wired book because books are supposed to take you into an alternate reality right?

This book however makes Kafka look tame by comparison. The premise is that A man in hired to go undercover to see if a prison guard is really a  Nazi Camp guard in hiding. It delves into the world of drug addicts and prostitution and other underbelly activities.  It takes twist and turns that no reader could have anticipated. It has dark undertones throughout the book. It also has a good psychological bent as it explores the dark side of human nature. It was entertaining to be able to see that whole spectrum without actually being in any harm. He also injects humor into his subject so you don't feel as if he is dragging you down. Some books after you have read them leave you feeling more depressed than you were before reading them. Not so with Pain Killers.

When I arrived at the end of the book I was like what?! huh? That is a good thing in my opinion. Not many books have that ability. A book that takes you on a ride has accomplished its purpose.

A Purpose Driven Life

If you are looking for advice career wise or personal growth this is not the book for you. However if you are looking on living for God this book is perfect for you.

It is written by Rick Warren a pastor at Saddle Back church one of the largest in the world. It explains how to live for God. The premise is that if you live for God then God will help you in other areas of your life.

It has references to bible scriptures and other references that pertain to the book’s theme. Let me be clear on this, it is not written from a fundamentalist view but rather from a sound Christian frame of mind.

The most important part that is stressed is that life here is a practice run for eternity. When one views it from that view point it makes some of our troubles seem more bearable. It also offers a message of hope. That no matter what your circumstances now may be, that there is a better way. I liked how he says there are no accidents of birth that if you are here on earth, God wanted you here. This is a refreshing change from many fundamentalist view points on how people are tainted with unpardonable sin if you were not born and raised in a strictly Christian manner.

It fails to give too much detail on how you can know what God wants you to do career wise but perhaps that was not the aim of the book. Still it would have been nice to have something about that.

According to the bible 40 days is enough time to take a significant spiritual journey. The book is meant to be digested at the rate of one chapter a day for 40 days. I read it in a few days since it was a library book so I cant tell you if it really was a great spiritual journey. I had friends swear by it so I guess for some people it works.

Overall you come away with a feeling of renewal and hope and in today's climate that is a good thing.

Sunday Salon

This week I reviewed two books Outcasts United and Bibliotherpy: The Girls Guide to Books for Every Phase of our Lives. I also focused more on reading and writing in my personal journal in an attempt to improve my writing skills. Question for all, Do you keep a journal?
I also decided to try Get Glue and fell in love with it. It really does offer good suggestions. For those of you who don't know what get glue is it is a site where you can "check in" on what you are doing. For example I check in that I am reading a book or writing and so forth. They have lots of different categories. What I like best is you can go on different sites put in what you like then it gives you recommendations. You can earn badges just like other sites. This one more fits my personality as I would rather stay home and read than go out trying to get points as on foursquare. Here is a link to my profile if want to see it in action.
I have decided to join bookcrossing again and spruced up my profile. I have been reading how people are building their own home library and how book you have on your shelf represents you. There are a lot of books I have that I know I will never pick up again. So I decided to wild release them via bookcrossing. I have went through some and got them ready. Not much but it is a start.
I have read two books this week. A Purpose Driven Life and Push. Look to a review soon. I am now reading Armageddon in retrospect by Kurt Vonnegut. He is one of my favorite authors so of course I like this book.